Liked this a lot

I ordered this set without any knowledge of the series, nor of the ratings. Just one of those gambles that sometimes pays off! The series is based around a well-known story, but it's far more than "just another pirate" plot. There's the inter-crew grumblings, the political aspects with the land-based fences (sorry, "merchants"), the inland agriculture, and the general trade issues all wrapped up, along with brothels and their inhabitants, a little bit of espionage, and some good, clean pirate shenanigans!
The sets are lovely, the settings beautiful when appropriate, the costumes about as good as I've seen in a pirate series, and the acting is (mostly) excellent. The plot is solid, and drives the episodes along, and while there's the odd slow bit, it usually picks up right after. There's nudity, of course, and it's handled well and in character (and yes, mostly gratuitous, but that's what separates these networks from the main ones!). But the main driver throughout is the pirate story of trying to raid other ships, find Spanish gold, and get the girl and happiness without getting caught (or your leg chopped off).
After I started in watching the series, I did a little digging on the Internet and found quite a few negative comments about the series. I find almost all the criticisms to be ungrounded, and can't help wondering if a story of fun (with nudity and violence) offends the "art critic" a bit too much. Me? I'll take the fun, nudity and violence any day over something boring and stilted!
I was pleasantly surprised at how good the series was, and now will have to wait for Season 2! Well done, all...a pleasant series to watch, and loads of pirate fun!

I would recommend this to a friend

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Watcher

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

An Underrated Title that Deserves a Watch

Black Sails is a fantastic show that knows exactly what it needs to be. On the surface, this show is merely a prequel to the classic tale of Treasure Island, however, once you dive into their world it starts to become as rich as the ever popular Game of Thrones. There are lots of characters to keep track of, and to their credit the series knows when to use them or not. Every time a character is onscreen you're learning more about them, seeing how deep their worries, wants, and trials are. Tension is brewed throughout this show, and done to a great extent. There are only 8 episodes in this first season, but by episode three I felt like I knew everyone. I fell in love with each character so hard that it was painful seeing certain characters die. The characters themselves are not good men, the series never depicts anyone as the good guy or the bad guy, everyone is morally gray and fighting to survive in this turmoil of a world, during the great age of piracy, and Black Sails will make you root for the deadliest people on Earth. This set also includes a few quick, yet informative, behind the scenes.

I would recommend this to a friend

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M992

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4

Get used to a parallel pirate universe

Posted 5 months ago

M992

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Although I did not expect a spectacle like Pirates of the Caribbean on a TV series budget, Black Sails Season 1 opens with a loud and exciting ship boarding that also deftly introduces key players and backstory. The rest of the season husbands its resources on creating a land-logged world filled with maneuvering rather than action. As a result, production value remains high, characters are well-drawn and the story is carefully told. Watching Black Sails Season 1 is fun, but a different kind of fun. Pirates who act like conniving politicians rather than swashbuckling rascals take getting used to, but they do offer a new take on a time-worn genre. Nevertheless, the inaugural season could use a sense of adventure, so here's hoping that subsequent, better-funded seasons will find the right balance.

I would recommend this to a friend

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Blackkro

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

No Jack Sparrow, but thats okay.

Posted 3 years ago

Blackkro

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So this is a show that I could say in on par with just about any HBO tv series, so far.
One could say this show is almost like Pirates of the Caribbean with a much darker tone but same atmosphere and overall look with a different plot.
Again, no Jack Sparrow. Although Jack "Calico Jack" Rackham and John Silver seem just as witty.
Pros:
-Vast line of legendary pirates
-Good plot
-Hardly any noticeable CGI effects
-Great accuracy on pirate democracy, fashion and weaponry
Cons:
-Timeline seems a little off on character appearance, but hey its a tv show. I mean, some characters seem to be missing and others seem to have known each other for along time which they should not, based on historical records.
-uh....cant think of any others.
But great buy, great series, Cant wait for season 2 to come on blue ray!

I would recommend this to a friend

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Nesta

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

My New Favorite

Maybe I am a sucker for pirates, but I really like this series. The production values are superb and the gratuitous elements effectively shocking. Each episode in the series gets better because no alliance is permanent and the characters are always evolving. The scripting in this series is fantastic, as is the acting. There are no true heroes but the material is close to historically accurate - closer than Hollywood usually gets, anyway. By the time you get to the end of the last episode, things are completely turned around is the most unexpected ways.
If you are looking for an unpredictable action series, you can't do better than this!

I would recommend this to a friend

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JimN

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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3

The BluRay disks were great

Posted 2 years ago

JimN

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The show and the disks were great! But the digital code leaves a lot to be desired. The only two options for redeeming the digital codes were Flixster and Vudu.
I am not sure why iTunes was not included but I find this very frustrating that the packaging does not clearly state what Digital content providers are supported. But I find it very frustrating that they expect me to maintain digital libraries in a myriad of different companies. To be completely honest this is the second time this has happened to me and I am getting very frustrated by it.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend

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Racer61

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

Awesome show, Awful Packaging.

I am not going to rate the show low because of my issues with the packaging.
Great Show, takes patience to get into it.
However trust me when i say, the packaging on this blu ray set is the WORST i have ever seen.
It is impossible to get these blu ray disks out, without putting finger prints on the disks which i never do.
The disks are so tightly packed into built in cardboard slip cases, that in order to get them out, you have to drag them out from both sides of the disk.
The show itself is really good.
The Packaging however is truly awful.

I would recommend this to a friend

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AlwaysAndForever

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

Gotta Love Pirates!

Posted 2 years ago

AlwaysAndForever

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I was given Black Sails Season 2 for Christmas, so I ran to Best Buy and purchased season 1. Black Sails is STARZ network series (which I had not seen before). But, my wife and I love historical type pieces. This is an EXCELLENT series! Do yourself a favor and purchase the seasons. Black Sails is set about 2 decades prior to Robert Louis Stevenson's book Treasure Island. The series centers around Captain Flint and his crew of pirates sailing near New Providence Island. From episode one you'll be hooked!